what I have to offer is me

September 17th, 2012

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post. I encourage you to go look at people’s stories of creative block and their cures for it (there are a few pages of comments, so dig a little). Talking about the diffuculties of making should be part of creative blogs, don’t you think? I mean it can’t be all wine and finished projects. Everyone has a dark corner or a box or a garbage can full of failed projects and honestly it is those projects we should be taking photos of and blogging about, because that’s where good ideas hide.

This is an exerpt of a beautiful speech on creativity and making by Charlie Kaufman. This video makes it both easier to cope with our creative selves and harder at the same time. Watch, then watch again.

15 Responses to what I have to offer is me

I think you are on to something here. When bloggers do write about the difficult or even failed projects, I always learn so much and I appreciate them having the courage to write those posts. And they are affirming in a way, too–an articulation of a shared struggle.

Go hard or go home, Meg! This is awesome. Thank you for posting it. We do have ourselves to offer…so let’s get to it! (you know, not in a pressured way but in an inspired and active and vibrant way!!) Remember a while ago I mentioned something to you about a blog series on my blog about failures and how those failures mined up other discoveries? And, you said you’d love to be involved? You still interested? ‘Cause you got me thinking about it again.

Oh I’d never heard this but it was completely awesome. Nearly cried a few times. I mean it’s true – we’re surrounded by so much CRAP these days. I never watch the local news anymore (it’s a bunch of fearmongering) and I’ve been cutting waaaay back on the clothes and stuff I buy for myself and the kids too. Even though I don’t have time to make everything I want, the act of making is good for my psyche so I keep at it, bit by bit. I believe it’s good and important to put handmade, thoughtful things into the world. I loved that the talk mentioned there are many ways to be creative (we all have different things to offer!) and people just need to find their “thing” that they love. Anyway. Thanks for being you, Meg!

Yes! Love this. I have had a very similar funk this summer. I know a lot of it just had to do with having a fourth baby, but it also felt like more than that. I watched the documentary “Happy” on Netflix, and it really made me think about what we need to have a happy life. I feel like we get told we need to do so many things, and I was getting wrapped up in perfectness and doing everything. I can’t do that though. Crafting does make me happy. I just needed a reminder of why it did.

Reminds me of a Leonard Cohen song, which goes: “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” Same with your creative challenges. Too bad we can’t embrace them as part of what it means to be a creative human being, rather than as an aspect of ourselves to get rid of. And, really, would we want perfection and smooth sailing every day? How boring would that be?!